smith



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. 0., SMITH. MEANS FOR OPERATINGGONTROL DEVICES 01-" ELEVATORS 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. 0. SMITH. MEANS FOR OPERATING CONTROL DEVIGES 0E ELEVATORS.

Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

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RUDOLPH O. SMITH, OF YONKERS, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE OTIS BROTHERS & COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR OPERATING CONTROL DEVICES OF ELEVATORS.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,626, dated April 27', 1897. Application filed February 27, 1895. Serial No. 539,936. (No model-l To all whom it may COW/067T}.

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH 0. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Operating the Control Devices of Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

In those elevator apparatus in which it has been necessary or desirable to make use of a hand gear or device within the cage to operate the cables connected with the stopping and starting device such hand-gear has consisted of vertical or horizontal levers or handwheels having handles projecting therefrom, or of other constructions of such a character that the clothing of persons passingto or from the elevator-car is liable to engage with the device or some part thereof and shift the same and the valve or other part connected therewith, starting the cage in motion with risk of danger to the occupants. So long as any hand operating device is used having a projecting handle or grasp extending at an angle to its line of movement and capable of engaging the clothing or of contact with the person, so as to be shifted by the drag of the clothing or the pressure of the person, such accidents cannot be prevented. In order to overcome these defects, I make use of an operating device in which the hand-gear is provided with a bar or rod which maybe grasped within the hand and which is arranged longitudinal to its line of movement, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an elevator apparatus having a control device embodying myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the modification illustrated in Fig. 4.

A represents the cage or car of the elevator, and B the stopping and starting or controlling device, which may be a water or steam valve or electric switch, or any of the usual devices employed for such purposes, and which is operated from the cage through the medium of one or more running or stationary cables by taking up or elongating bights in such cables. As shown, there are two standing cables a a, connected with a pulley 6, the rotation of which shifts the stopping and starting or control device B, the said cables passing around pulleys 7 '7, carried by a lever II, pivoted to the cage and operating to take up or elongate bights in the cables, as set forth in Letters Patent to N. O. Bassett, No.453,955. Any other form of cable operating devices may, however, be em ployedas, for instance, the single traveling cable shown in O. W. Baldwins patent, No, 548,107, or G. H. Reynoldss patent, No. 456,152.

As shown, the operating device C- consists of a tubular or solid rod or tube 1), having a hand-grasp 8 at the center and guided. so as to move in the line of the direction of its length or longitudinal axis-as, for instance, extending into tubes 9 9, bolted to the ceiling and floor of the car--and between the handoperated device and the cable-controlled devices are any suitable intermediate connections whereby the longitudinal movement of the hand-grasp S Will shift the cable-controlled devices, and with them the stopping and starting devices.

In most instances with large elevator apparatus of the modern type with cars traveling at a high rate of speed it would be impracticable to connect the hand-operated device directly with the cable-controlled devices, and it is preferable to make use of intermediate connections that Will give the operator the advantage of a leverage in operation with the cable-controlled devices. Different intermediate connections may be employed, but I prefer that shown, consisting of a cable 10, connected to the ends of the bar 19, passing over an upper pulley 12 and beneath a lower pulley 13, and provided with a tightening device 14, the shaft of the pulley 12 having a pinion 15 engaging a rack 16 on a rod 18, connected to an arm projecting from the lever II. By this arrangement and proportion of intermediate connections the operator has such a leverage that he can exert all necessary power to operate the cables without any undue exertion in moving the operating device. The arrangement shown has also thefurther advantage that the movements made by the operator correspond to those made in operating the ordinary handrope, so that there is no danger of accident in transferring an operator from an apparatus provided with an ordinary hand-rope to one provided with my improved operating device.

\Vhile it is preferable to arrange the handoperated device to move vertically, my invention may be embodied in a device having a horizontal longitudinal movement. Thus in Fig. 4 the control device consists of an endless cable 16, passing around horizontal guide-pulleys 17 and 18, extending through the side of the car, and provided with a handgrasp 8, in the form of a sleeve sliding upon a tubular portion of a casing 19, covering the guide-pulleys Within the cage, a cross-pin 20 of the hand-grasp extending through slots in the casing and being connected to the cable. Outside of the case the cable is connected to a lever 21, connected in any suitable manner with the cable controlling devices.

WVhether the hand-operated device be arranged to move vertically or horizontally, it will be seen that it has a longitudinal movement only, and that it cannot be shifted either by the pressure of persons against it or by engaging With any moving object, except When directly grasped'by the hand and moved longitu dinally.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the operating-cable device of an elevator, of means for taking up or relaxing the cable, and a hand operating device Within the car, guides therefor arranged to permit only a longitudinal vertical movement of said device, and connections between the said hand device and the means for taking up and relaxing the operating-cable, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an elevator-car and with the cable control device for operating the stopping and starting device, and means for taking up and relaxing the cable, of a hand device consisting of a rod or bar Within the car supported longitudinally in line With the direction of its movement and connected to operate said means, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an elevator-car, cable control devices carried thereby, an operating-rod provided with a rack, a pinion engaging said rack and pulley connected therewith, and a second pulley and cables passing around said pulleys, and into the car and connected With a hand control device therein, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

RUDOLPH 0. SMITH.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY L. BRANT, W. CHARLES EGGERT. 

